Space dividing structure for freezers and the like



Dec. 5, 1961 G. D. ZACHARIAS 3,011,675

SPACE DIVIDING STRUCTURE FOR FREEZERS AND THE LIKE Filed July 17, 19580. Zaczmmas United States Patent 3,011,675 SPACE DIVIDING STRUCTURE FORFREEZERS AND THE LIKE Glenn D. Zacharias, 4620 Harriet Ave. S.,

Minneapolis, Minn.

Filed July 17, 1958, Ser. No. 749,303 1 Claim. (Cl. 22022) Thisinvention relates to apparatus for defining subdivided spaces in acompartment of a frozen food case or the like wherein stocks are storedfor display and sale.

An object of my invention is to provide for a frozen food case acompartment space divider of simple and inexpensive construction andoperation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a frozen food casecompartment space divider which is readily changeable in size andconfiguration for dividing spaces which will confine frozen foodpackages of various size.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear fromthe following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention applied into thecompartment of a frozen food case;

FIG. 2 is a detail side elevation of one of the partition panels andshowing one of the divider panels connected thereto;

FIG. 3 is a detailed section taken on a vertical plane as indicated at33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of one type of divider wall;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of another type of divider panels which isusable with the panel shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of still another type of divider panel whichis usable in various sizes with other divider panels of its type alongwith the partition panels.

One form of the present invention is shown in the drawings and isdescribed herein. The frozen food case 10 defines an interiorcompartment 11 which, as is conventional, is divided with smooth wallsand is generally longer than it is wide. The interior compartment 11 isnormally undivided. The space divider comprising the present inventionincludes a plurality of elongate and upright partition panels 12 of suchlength as to extend between the front and rear walls of the compartment11 and of such height as to extend up to the upper edge of the case. Aplurality of divider panels 13 of various lengths are also provided forreleasable attachment to the smooth edged partition panels 12 and thedivider panels 13 are of substantially identical height as are thepartition panels.

Each of the partition panels 12 has a plurality of keyhole-shapedapertures 14 therein disposed in a plurality of vertical and horizontalrows with the diminished throat portion of each keyhole apertureoriented downwardly.

The divider panels 13 which may be of various lengths, have at each endthereof, a plurality of pins 15 which may be attached to the panels 13or formed integrally therewith and each of the pins 15 has a headportion 16 formed thereon in spaced relation with the end edge of thedivider panel 13. The heads 16 are of such size and configuration as tobe adapted for movement through the enlarged head portion of each of thekeyhole-shaped apertures 14 in the partition panels 12 and the pins 15are movable downwardly into the throat portion of each of the keyholeapertures 14. The partition panels contain five apertures 14in eachvertical row of apertures than are provided at the end of any of thedivider panels 13 so as to provide vacant apertures for receiving pinsand heads from other divider panels oriented in substantially end-to-"ice and relation with the first mentioned divider panel and at the samevertical row of apertures 14 in the partition panel. It will be notedthat the divider panel 13a shown in FIG. 4 has the pins 15 oriented indifferent vertical positions than are the pins 15 on the divider panel13b shown in FIG. 5 so that when the divider panels 13a and 13b areoriented in the position shown in FIG. 1, the pins 15 of panel 13aproject through a certain set of vertically aligned apertures 14 in aparticular vertical row of apertures in the partition panel 12 and thepins 15 of panel 13b extend through the other unoccupied apertures inthe same vertical row of apertures. The divider walls may thereby bedisposed in directly end-to-end relation with each other.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the divider panel 13c hasthe pins 15 at one end edge 13c of the panel disposed at differentvertical positions than the pins 15 on the other end edge 130" so thatonly one type of divider panel need be used in order to orient thesedivider panels in end-to-end relation on opposite sides of a partitionpanel.

It will be seen that the divider panels 13 will face the I front of thecase 10 and the upper portion of the divider may carry a removable sign19 which has hooks 20* for securing the sign at the upper edge of thepanel 13.

In the form shown, the partition and divider panels 12 and 13respectively are both constructed of high impact styrene which isresistive to chipping and breaking at extremely low temperatures. Thepanels are flexible and are therefore not subject to collecting frostthereon, because when the panels are bent the frost or ice chips willfall 0E. The polystyrene panels are washable and will not be permanentlyvisibly marked because the polystyrene panels are of uniform colorthrough the entire thickness thereof and if the panels should bescratched, the panels need be merely washed to remove the visible mark.

It should be pointed out that by use of the partition and divider panelsin the compartment 11, the amount of usable space is not materiallydecreased and the theme of the space divider substantially improves theefficiency of organization of the products contained in the com partment11 so that actually the usable space in the compartment 11 iseifectively increased. The cans of frozen juice and the like whichnormally lay on their sides with the beads on the ends thereof staggeredin relation to each other may be laid on their sides with the end beadsstacked directly on each other so as to save space in connection withthese types of products. By the use of the space divider comprising thepresent invention the inventory of the stock in the compartment 11 maybe kept current because the small compartments defined by the spacedivider may be easily inventoried and rotated so that old stock willnever collect in the bottom of the compartment.

It should be particularly noted that if desired, the space dividers maybe moved by sliding along the length of the compartment 11 because allof the edges of the partition panels and divider panels are smooth.

It will of course, be understood that various changes may be made in theform, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departingfrom the scope of my invention which consists of the matter describedherein and set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A space divider insertable into a frozen food case of the type having anopen topped compartment and having front, rear, end and bottomcompartment-defining walls, said space divider comprising a multiplicityof upright and planar partition panels adjacent each other in spaced,parallel and confronting relation with each other, said partition panelshaving bottom edges and also having front and rear edges, said bottomedges being adapted to be supported on the bottom wall of the case andsaid front and rear edges being adapted to confront the front and rearWalls of the case when the panels are located in the compartment of thecase, a plurality'of upright divider panels or'ientedtransversely ofsaid partition panels and extending between adjacent partition panels,each of said divider panels having first and second end edgesconfronting the adjacent partition panels, each of said partition panelshaving a plurality of keyhole shaped apartures in upright rows andconfronting the end edges of the divider panels, said keyhole shapedapertures having depending diminished throat portions and enlarged upperportions, the divider panels having pins permanently atfixed on each ofthe end edges thereof and projecting endwise of the divider panels andthrough the diminished throat portions of the apertures of the adjacentpartition panels said pins having enlarged heads thereon exceeding thedimensions of said diminished throat portions of the apertures and beingsmaller than the enlarged upper portions of said apertures to permitmovement of the heads through the apertures when the divider panels aremoved upwardly with respect to the partition panels, the pins on saidfirst end edges being disposed at first elevations, the pins on saidsecond end edges being disposed at second elevations vertically spacedfrom said first elevations, the apertures in said rows being disposed atboth of said first and second elevations whereby to permit dividerpanels-on opposite sides of a partition panel to be disposed inalignment with each other with the pins at the first and second endedges thereof extending through apertures in a single upright row ofapertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

